Sunday, January 20, 2013

It’s cold outside and I needed something
thick and hot that would warm my bones. Rather than cook one of my go-to soups
or stews, I decided to try one of Brilliant Daughter’s favorites: Oaxaca
Tortilla Soup. This hearty Mexican-inspired soup did just the trick. Flavors
abound, from the cool creaminess of the avocado and the sour cream to the zesty
flavor of the lime juice and chili powder, combining to make a complex soup
that comes together in a jiffy.

While the original version is vegetarian, you
can make a heartier version by adding leftover shredded chicken or some cooked
prawns. And no worries if you cannot find the dried Pasilla de Oaxaco, you can
substitute a dried chipotle or 1 tablespoon of chili or chipotle powder.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

We’ve been experiencing several concurrent days of frost
here in California, and while the weather is certainly not as severe as in many
parts of the country, it is dire when it comes to my prized Meyer lemons. So
Saturday found me picking 3 flats of Meyers, yielding a total of 71 pounds.

On Sunday I began to make use of the lemons, and it’s much
harder than you might think. Here is what I have done so far:

1. Limoncello

I started off with peeling 15 lemons for limoncello.
I’ve got those peels mixed with 1.75 liters of Skye vodka, marinating for a
month in my large glass sangria dispenser. Then I’ll make some lemon simple
syrup to combine and finish it off. I keep my limoncello in the freezer and it
can be used over ice cream, served plainly over ice, and in a version of the
favored lemon drop cocktail. It’s a perfect summer drink (try adding some to
your iced tea for a tasty adult version!), and will store nicely chilled until
that time.

2. Simple Syrup

I also made a quart of lemon simple
syrup, which involved 2 cups of sugar, 2 cups of water and 6 quartered
lemons. I just boil it all for 10 minutes, let it cool, strain and pour into
jars. We use this to flavor sparkling water, ice tea, hot tea, and of course,
those lemon drop cocktails.

3. Lemon Zest and Juice

I have recipes that call for lemon zest, and often just make
a topping for veggies using garlic, lemon zest, salt and some toasted bread
crumbs. So I like to have some on hand. I do two types, a fine zest using a
microplane and a long curly zest done with a traditional zester. I make little
piles on a sheet of wax paper and throw them in the freezer for an hour or two.
Once frozen, they can go in a Ziploc or Tupperware in the freezer for future
use. Once I’ve zested the lemons, I juice them and freeze them in half-pint and
pint jars. They are perfect for desserts, lemon curd, lemonade, soups, any
recipe calling for lemon juice. You can even defrost them slightly in the
microwave and just pour out the amount needed, popping the remainder back in
the freezer. I now have 8 jars of
juice in the freezer.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Spicy Grilled Tuna Rolls—a cross between sushi and a lobster
roll—always elicits a chorus of “yums” when served. That means I can pretty
well guarantee that you will love these on first bite.

Brilliant Daughter brought this recipe to my attention over
the summer, and I have fixed it numerous times since, including a small
informal dinner party in Charleston in September. I have yet seen a diner walk
away unsatisfied. And while they are somewhat costly to make, give the price
for quality fresh tuna these days, they are well worth the indulgence. I have
also found that it is worth sourcing out King’s Hawaiian or brioche hot dog
rolls, for both flavor and presentation.

Quick to fix, you can complete this dish within 30 minutes.
Should you have any problem finding wasabi powder for the dressing, you can
substitute wasabi paste, both of which should be adjusted for your own palate.
The dressing should be slightly hotter than you want, as mixing it in with the
blander tuna and avocado will dampen the spiciness.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

There are some days when I just don’t have time to spend
hours in the kitchen cooking the family dinner, and for this reason I keep
quick and easy recipes on hand that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less and
will please all the palates at the table. This recipe, modified from Sunset magazine, is part of that
repertoire.

Originally prepared for me by my good friend Jen Leo, it requires only 5-10 minutes of prep
time and is ready to serve in about 25 minutes. I often double the recipe to
use for lunches, which definitely impresses the co-workers.

While the recipe calls for ground chicken, you can
also use ground bison or lean ground pork. Bison is becoming more
available across the U.S. and the majority of American bison is
grass-fed and privately—not mass—produced. Overall, bison is leaner than
ground beef and contains more iron, as well as less calories and cholesterol.

Asian Lettuce Cups

1 pound
lean ground chicken

1
tablespoon vegetable oil

1
tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1
tablespoon garlic, minced

2 1/2
tablespoons Asian black bean sauce

1 1/2
tablespoons hoisin sauce (plus extra for serving)

1 8-ounce
can water chestnuts, rinsed, drained, and coarsely chopped

1 bunch
green onions, sliced (both white and green)

1 cup
chopped roasted unsalted peanuts

1 cup
chopped cilantro

1 large
head butter lettuce, separated into leaves

Sriracha
chili sauce

Heat
oil in large fry pan over medium heat. Add meat, ginger and garlic, breaking up
the meat as it cooks. Fry until meat is just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile,
break apart a head of butter lettuce, rinsing off the individual leaves, and
drying on paper towels. Dab off excess water with paper towel and place leaves
on a plate.

When
meat is cooked, add black bean sauce and hoisin and stir just until combined.
Stir in water chestnuts and onions and cook for one minute to heat through.
Take off the heat, and mix in the cilantro.

Spoon
mixture into a serving bowl. Serve with chopped peanuts, hoisin, and sriracha
on the side.

To
assemble, take one lettuce leave and smear with hoisin or Sriracha, top with
meat and peanuts, fold in half and enjoy!

Monday, January 07, 2013

Cold winter days call for hearty soups and one of our
mainstays is this creamy French lentil soup. The recipe elevates the lowly
lentil, which is quick to cook, cheap to buy and good for you, but often
overlooked.

Lentils are a member of the legume family and come in a variety
of colors from a dull brown to green, to French black to a vibrant red/orange,
and are sold in one-pound bags or in the bulk aisle of grocery stores. The
benefits are myriad and, given their diminutive size, rather amazing. First is
the amount of dietary fiber packed in these little guys; one cup provides 62%
of your daily dietary fiber requirement, which in addition to the high
percentages of magnesium and folate, make them a heart healthy choice. You also
get six minerals, two B vitamins, and 35% of your daily protein requirement,
and it only adds up to 229 calories. All this and they are basically fat-free.

Lentils can be cooked plainly with some diced garlic and
onion and curry to make a simple daal
(served with plain yogurt), or they can be dressed up with lots of veggies,
herbs, and meat, and served for supper, like they are here.

This recipe took about 5 minutes to prep and 10 minutes of
hands-on cooking time, and spanned 80 minutes start to finish, the bulk of
which it is just simmering on the stove. So you can come home, get it started,
and relax for an hour or so. Served with some hearty bread, this makes a
complete meal, given the vegetables incorporated in the soup.

Note: While the recipe
calls for bacon, chicken stock and cream, you can make a vegetarian and vegan
version. The bacon can be omitted, using a bit of olive oil to sauté the onions
and garlic. Vegetable stock can substitute for the chicken stock, and there are
vegan (soy, tofu and nut-based) cream alternatives.

Creamy French Lentil
Soup

4 ounces sliced bacon, diced

2 cup diced onions

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon dry thyme

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

1 cup brown lentils

2 quarts chicken stock

2 cups diced tomato

3 bay leaves

1 cup whipping cream

Salt, nutmeg, cayenne, and white pepper to taste

2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Heat a 4-quart pot and cook bacon until crispy. Add the
onions and garlic and cook over a medium heat until brown. Then add thyme, bay
leaves, carrots, celery, and lentils and stir well. Add the chicken stock and
bring to a simmer, and cook for 40 minutes until the lentils are soft. Cover
the pot and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Uncover the pot and add the tomatoes, cream, basil and
seasoning and return to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Thursday, January 03, 2013

I am not, and
have never been, a fan of the potpie. Growing up, potpies were bought frozen
and had too much crust and not enough flavor. And they didn’t lend themselves
to drowning in some sort of sauce of my youth (ketchup, A-1, salsa) to amp up
the flavor. But last year, when I was tending to my mom in the hospital and Brilliant
Daughter was doing all the cooking for the family, she made this
exceptional dish. A potpie that not only tasted wonderful, but was a comfort—to
my stomach, to my soul, to my heart. I had seconds, and even thirds. (I think I
must have needed a lot of comfort!)

I’ve actually
resisted making it again, because even though the food memories are wonderful,
the circumstances and body memories during that difficult time thwarted my
effort. But I was ready to try it again. I think you’ll agree that it is worth
the effort.

I started by
completing my mis
en place. (Prepping all the ingredients ahead of time allows me to visit
with my family more during our weekly Sunday dinners.) I diced up our tasty
home-cured and smoked bacon, chopped the vegetables, ran to the garden to cut
some marjoram, and instead of using shredded chicken (from a purchased
rotisserie chicken), I made use of the leftover turkey from First Christmas.
(Yes, we had 2 Christmas’ this year!) I hate to let anything go to waste!

Once you have the
ingredients in place, the prep time is about 30 minutes and then the potpie
gets popped it in the oven for an additional 22-25 minutes. You could actually
do the prep a few hours ahead of time, leaving the puff pastry off and
completing that final step before putting the potpie in the oven for the final
bake.

This is not a
terribly complicated recipe, and using a shredded rotisserie chicken cuts down
on prep work, so think about treating your family to a bit of comfort…and enjoy
those leftovers.

Cook bacon in
heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Add onion to
drippings in skillet and sauté until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add
carrots, haricot vert and marjoram, stirring for 1 minute. Add broth and bring
to boil over high heat.

Reduce heat to
medium-high and boil until vegetables are almost tender and some liquid is
reduced, about 8 minutes. Stir in 2/3 cup crème fraîche, chicken, and bacon.
Bring to simmer. Season with pepper.

Pour chicken
mixture into a deep-dish pie pan or cast iron stewpot.

Unfold puff
pastry onto work surface; roll out to be slightly larger than your dish. Top
chicken mixture with pastry; fold edges down onto rim. Brush top of crusts (not
edges) with remaining 1 tablespoon crème fraîche. Cut small X in center of
crust; pierce all over with fork. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling
is heated through, about 22 minutes.

About Me

I live the life of a typical soccer mom in the suburbs with my husband, three children, and two cats. Working for a travel publisher for 12 years, I began visiting destinations through food, rather than by airplane. I learned about Thailand, India, Spain, and a dozen other countries through their cuisines. And that food remains a staple in my kitchen. My children grew up on curries, Provencal lamb dishes, moles, and the occasional meatloaf (on request). I am now taking the love of food farther afield and venturing into foreign lands, incorporating it into every travel destination I can get to, be it Erie, Pennsylvania or Taipei, Taiwan. Those of us in suburbia need to break out of the roast chicken, barbequed ribs, pork chop mentality and spice up our kitchens with the food of the world. We need to leave the canned veggies, packaged cookies, and oversweet jams on the shelves, and dig into the garden and flour bag and treat our families and ourselves to something better. As I continue to learn, I will share, and maybe someone will take the step towards a tagine or a brulee, and know that it doesn’t have to be complicated, and that the end result speaks for itself.